What's Wrong with Mixing Wool and Linen?

[Baruch]

http://itsaboutjesus.weebly.com/blog/whats-wrong-with-mixing-wool-and-linen

A sister often posts the musings of a minister of Christ on this blog. I find all of them interesting and edifying. She posted a very interesting one today.

"You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and linen together" (Deuteronomy 22:11, NASB).

What's wrong with mixing wool and linen?

Let me share something with you that's really awesome. Linen is made from the fibers of the flax plant. Throughout the Bible, fine, white linen represents righteousness and generally is a picture of the Lord Jesus' perfect righteousness. For instance, the priests were to only wear garments made out of pure linen. The fabric couldn't be mixed with wool. One of the reasons is that the priests were types of Jesus, the great High Priest whose righteousness is unmixed with any sin.

The Scriptures teach us that when we are saved our sins are taken away and we're clothed with Jesus' righteous robe.

Now, here's a special insight:

Linen is made by beating the flax plant until it becomes fibrous. Then those fibers are woven together to make cloth. But if you take the fibers and look at them under a microscope you'll see that all of them have the shape of a cross.

Our Lord was beaten for us. He went to the cross to die for our sins and offers to cover us with His perfect robe of righteousness. It's all about being covered with the cross.

The priests were not to mix linen with wool because nothing can be added to the perfect covering Jesus has provided for us. The work of the cross is enough—to add anything to it is an offense to God.

"Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:9-10).

(Commentary Mark Martin)

Here is a page about flax. One of the slides mentions the cross markings.

http://www.slideshare.net/lilybhagat3/flax-fiber-manufacturing-physical

Here is a page containing a fairly clear microscopic image of the flax fiber next to a cotton fiber.

http://cool.conservation-us.org/jaic/articles/jaic43-01-007_6.html

[Lou Newton]

Ezekiel 44

¹⁷ “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes; they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. ¹⁸ They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. ¹⁹ When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that the people are not consecrated through contact with their garments.

Colossians 2

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

The priests were not to wear wool in the temple or anything that made them sweat.

We are not to worry about the Sabbath day, for that was but a shadow of the real Sabbath, who is Christ.

We are not to sweat, or work for our salivation, but we are to rest in Lord Sabbath, Jesus Christ, who is our real Sabbath.

[Baruch]

Ezekiel 44

¹⁷ “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes; they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. ¹⁸ They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. ¹⁹ When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that the people are not consecrated through contact with their garments.

Colossians 2

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

The priests were not to wear wool in the temple or anything that made them sweat.

We are not to worry about the Sabbath day, for that was but a shadow of the real Sabbath, who is Christ.

We are not to sweat, or work for our salivation, but we are to rest in Lord Sabbath, Jesus Christ, who is our real Sabbath.

Good connections, Lou. And I was simply delighted in this microscopic discovery that Ancient Near East peoples could not have known when the texts were written. God's wisdom is deep and rich.

I also like what the Septuagint seems to convey: the priests when ministering to God will be covered in holy garments; they will not be constricting, i.e. a burden to wear; they will not wear their own garments in the presence of the Lord; and they will keep their God-given garments unspotted from the world.

Eze 44:18 And they shall have flaxen linen turbans upon their heads, and shall have flaxen linen pants upon their loins, and they shall not gird with force.
Eze 44:19 And in their going forth into the outer courtyard to the people, they shall take off their apparels in which they ministered in them. And they shall put them in the inner chambers of the holies, and shall put on other apparels; and in no way shall they sanctify the people in their own apparels.

[Lou Newton]

Good connections, Lou. And I was simply delighted in this microscopic discovery that Ancient Near East peoples could not have known when the texts were written. God's wisdom is deep and rich.

I also like what the Septuagint seems to convey: the priests when ministering to God will be covered in holy garments; they will not be constricting, i.e. a burden to wear; they will not wear their own garments in the presence of the Lord; and they will keep their God-given garments unspotted from the world.

Eze 44:18 And they shall have flaxen linen turbans upon their heads, and shall have flaxen linen pants upon their loins, and they shall not gird with force.
Eze 44:19 And in their going forth into the outer courtyard to the people, they shall take off their apparels in which they ministered in them. And they shall put them in the inner chambers of the holies, and shall put on other apparels; and in no way shall they sanctify the people in their own apparels.

Amen, and there is only one way to keep our garmnent unspotted, and that is to keep covered with the blood of Jesus and NOT our own works or efforts.